Find out how popular the last name Wooley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wooley.

Wooley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wooley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wooley in America

Wooley is the 5679th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wooley surname appeared 6,109 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Wooley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wooley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wooley

The surname "Wooley" originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "wull" and "leah," which together mean a meadow where wool was produced or processed. This name was initially given as a topographic name to individuals who lived near such meadows or were involved in the wool trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Wooley" can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, and Gloucestershire. It was often spelled as "Wulley," "Wulleye," or "Wolleleye" in ancient records and medieval manuscripts.

One notable historical reference to the name "Wooley" is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Wolleleye is listed as a taxpayer. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Somerset from 1268 mention a Roger de Wulleye.

In the 14th century, the surname "Wooley" appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a Thomas de Wulleye was recorded as a landowner. Around the same time, a John Wolleleye was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname "Wooley." One of the earliest was Sir John Wooley (c. 1535-1594), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Wooley (1591-1666), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Clonfert in Ireland.

In the 18th century, Edward Wooley (1665-1733) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer, best known for his work on the calculation of cometary orbits. Later, in the 19th century, John Wooley (1790-1869) was a British landscape painter and etcher, renowned for his depictions of rural scenes.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname "Wooley" was Sir Leonard Wooley (1880-1960), a renowned British archaeologist and explorer who excavated several ancient sites in the Middle East, including the city of Ur in modern-day Iraq.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname "Wooley" throughout history, reflecting its English roots and association with the wool trade and meadows of medieval times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wooley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wooley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wooley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wooley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wooley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wooley, please contact us.

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